Banished Pt. 05

"Hold still!" I said, as I quickly stripped off my shirt.

Put on your armor! She ordered, and I shook my head.

"Not until I see how bad this is."

I held Casey down, but with all the blood, I couldn't figure out where the wound was.

I moved to take her cotton shirt off, but as she winced, I bit my lip, and let go of her long enough to search my satchel for my other armguard.

"Oh my god!" Cameron exclaimed, as she dashed into the room, Nolan and Jordan in tow.

"Cameron, it's not safe-"

"Oh, fuck off!" Cameron shouted, cutting Nolan off, and he seemed to go quiet at the response.

"Hold her down," I instructed, as I put the bit of armor on, and as Cameron held Casey, I grabbed her shirt, and tore it down the middle.

I breathed a little sigh of relief, as the wound, a puncture, from what I could tell, was closer to her shoulder than her chest.

"Jordan, my shirt," I began, and he grabbed the piece of clothing. "Press here."

He nodded, and as he applied pressure, Casey looked at Cameron.

"Get him to put his armor on!" she cried, and Cameron looked at me, then nodded.

I relented this time, and as soon as it was done, I drew my knife.

"Nolan; watch the window," I barked, before turning to Cameron; "don't let anyone in, okay?"

"Nate!" Casey yelled, and I turned back just as I reached the door.

"What?"

"Don't use another heal," she said, and I clicked my tongue in annoyance, as I turned and walked away before waiting to hear the rest of what she had to say.

I'm serious, her words continued in my mind. Unless I'm actually dying, don't use it. Find out if there's someone here, like a physician or something.

As I got out of the tree-structure, however, another commotion seemed to be going on around the supply cart, and I quickly hurried over to investigate.

"Eradne?"

I spotted the girl, a dazed expression on her face, as she stood there, covered in blood.

"What happened?" I asked.

"They... attacked," she began, gesturing ahead, and as I followed her gaze, I spotted Francesca, and I gasped.

If Eradne was covered in blood, then I could only describe Francesca as drenched, as her hair was wet with the slick, red liquid, which also dripped from her face.

"Francesca!" I called, as I dashed to her. "W-what's going on."

But as I moved to her side, I saw it... bodies, all around the cart.

There were limbs; arms, legs, and a severed head... four people, maybe? All Kobalt.

"Who did this?" I asked, and her arms began to shake.

"M-me..." she said, and I quickly hugged her as she began to tear up.

"They attacked... I didn't know it would... the spear. I-I..."

"Shh, it's fine," I said, trying to comfort her, but I couldn't afford to waste too much time.

I went to the supply cart, and drew one of the small daggers from the weapon stash, quickly checking to make sure that everything else was still accounted for; then I grabbed a healing vial from the supply sack.

"Casey was attacked," I said, and Francesca suddenly studied me. "The danger might not be over yet, because her attacker escaped."

"Shit. What do I do?"

"I know this is a tough ask, but I need you to stay on alert."

Francesca bit her lip, as a determined expression replaced the lost expression on her face.

"I'm good. Go," she said, and I nodded, as I dashed back towards the entry hall.

"Herr Nathan," Gisela called, as she spotted me.

"Is there a healer here? Physician? Someone who tends to the injured."

"Eradne," the girl answered, and I nodded.

"She's outside. Can you get her and come to my room?"

Gisela nodded, then headed out the main door.

"Nate! What happened?"

I looked up to see Jeannie, with Emily and Evie in tow.

"Gather up the girls, and stay in one room. Wait, Emily!"

"Yeah?"

I slipped off my knife belt, then threw it at her.

"Keep them safe; and don't come out until I come get you!"

As I headed up to the room, I quickly moved to Casey's side, and as her eyes flashed toward the vial of green liquid in my hand, she frowned.

"Relax," I said. "Gisela is sending someone up. This is just in case we need it," I explained.

"How many of those do we have?" Jordan asked.

"Fourteen," I answered, and he tilted his head.

"Then why don't we just use it?"

"In a critical situation... it might take as many as four... or five of those; just to save someone's life," Casey explained, in between pained gasps.

"Will you sit back and stop talking?" I chided, as Jordan pondered the response.

"How much do they cost?"

"Thirty-five credits each," I answered.

"Auslander! Disen weg," Gisela called, and Eradne poked a head into the room, tentatively.

She took one look at Casey, then moved to her side, and Jordan moved around the bed, to give her space.

Eradne lifted up the shirt, and examined the wound.

"Single puncture. The wound is not ugly, but deeply penetrated... is possible. Did you see the tool?"

Casey nodded.

"A dagger, I think."

"How big, the blade?"

Casey raised her right hand, indicating the length between her middle finger and thumb, and Eradne nodded.

"I will keep the pressure. Little Schweinchen. Seek Ryker. Tell him a linae-sap is needed."

Gisela nodded, quickly hurrying away.

"Herr, Auslander; the God-kind here are too many. Better air space is preferable."

I nodded, turning to Cameron.

"There was a fight by the supply cart. Francesca's fine, but shaken up. Can you go check on her?"

"Yeah. Let's go," she began-

"What?" Nolan interjected, somewhat incredulously. "You were sick today, remember?"

"Seriously, I'm fine," she replied.

"Should we arm up?" Jordan asked, and I nodded.

"At least until we're sure the danger is over. Do you mind wearing armor?" I asked Jordan, and he quickly nodded.

Nolan still seemed pretty annoyed, but as they hurried from the room, I felt reasonably sure that I could count on them to hold down the fort.

"Auslander. I need water," she began, but as I made to move, she stopped me. "It must be cleansed. Have Ryker apply a boiling."

"No, Nate! The waterskin sterilizes water. You can use that instead. Just, fill it up from the bathroom."

Eradne didn't at first understand, but as I explained, she nodded, studying the item with interest.

"How long does it take?"

"Minutes," Casey explained.

I sighed.

"Casey, wouldn't the healing vial disinfect the wound, and start the healing?" I said, and she shook her head.

"The only uncertain factor we have to deal with is not knowing when we'll come across another guild hall. Otherworlders almost never come into this forest... we need to keep what we have for an emergency."

As I studied the bloody mess around the room, I frowned.

This was a fucking emergency.

As we waited for Eradne's associate, I studied the woman.

"What happened down there?" I asked, and she bit her lip.

"There was attack."

"The Kobalt?"

She nodded, a worried look on her face.

"From Palancar, I suspect. But this is not our way, Auslander. I am troubled."

"My attacker was a Kobalt too, Nate," Casey added, and I rubbed my chin.

I was under the impression that the extent of their retaliation would be refusal to trade, or no offer of support, and Gisela seemed pretty certain that the Kobalt would not raise arms against the matron; but now that the princess had been banished, did that mean they would threaten us like this?

Maybe I shouldn't jump to assumptions just yet.

After all, Eradne's reaction seemed to indicate that this development was extremely unusual, to say the least.

We waited for a while, before a young looking Kobalt entered the room followed by Gisela.

Eradne spoke to the younger Kobalt; Ryker, unless I was not mistaken; in their tongue, and the youngster quickly began to follow her commands.

The linae-sap she had requested appeared to be a thick, glue like substance, and at Eradne's instruction, Ryker scooped out a bit of the sap into a wooden bowl, then began to mix it with a purple-ish colored fluid, which Gisela produced from a mug.

From the scent, I figured it was probably some kind of alcohol.

As the younger Kobalt worked, however, his hands shook, and after he almost spilled some of the thinner liquid out of the bowl, Eradne flicked his ear, and tears began to form in the youngster's eyes.

"Herr, Nathan... could you?" the woman asked, and I nodded, shooting the younger Kobalt a sympathetic look as I accepted the concoction from him.

Mixing the two components together was difficult, as the thick sap took quite some time to absorb the much thinner purple liquid into its composition, before turning into a paste like consistency.

"Can you handle the dressing?" Eradne asked, and I nodded. "There. Apply some miasma to the hand."

She gestured to my own hand, and Gisela poured a little into my hand, and I rubbed it about.

Definitely alcohol, I thought, as the burning sensation kicked in.

"Can you apply to me?" she said, and as she held out one hand, and Gisela poured a little bit of the liquid I reached out and rubbed it about Eradne's hand, and she shot me an uncomfortable glance.

"Ryker. Apply the water," she instructed, and the young Kobalt nodded, looking to me for permission before taking the waterskin from the bed, and Eradne released the pressure from the wound, as he poured a bit of the liquid onto the wound.

Eradne, however, seemed quite displeased with his performance, and with her other hand, snatched the vessel from him, and quickly washed out Casey's wound, examining it as closely as she could, before a fresh stream of blood began to pour out of it.

"The cut is clean," she said. "Not as deep as feared."

She gestured to the concoction that we had prepared, before directing me to hold together the sides of the gaping hole in Casey's shoulder.

Casey clenched her teeth shut at this, as her eyes teared up; but Eradne wasted no time in applying the paste along the edges of the wound, before applying a bit of the sap itself along the middle, and over the applied paste.

"Hold firm, Auslander," she commanded, and I nodded, as she applied a few more touches of the sap to the area.

She said something to Ryker, and as he shook his head in response, she sighed, issuing some new instruction, and the young man quickly took off.

"He is worse apprentice than mein Schweinchen," Eradne said, and Gisela scowled in response.

I chuckled at the exchange, and Eradne smiled at me, before quickly shaking away the momentary lapse.

"Did I bring this conflict to you?" I asked, and the woman sighed, then shook her head.

"Conflict becomes Palancar; perhaps mein aufsässig kinde should have borne kinder regard. I sense a rot upon our grove."

"Cursed..." I muttered, remembering the princess' description of the grove, as we left.

Was she the cause, or did she just sense something that was already brewing?

Either way; it certainly complicated things.

"The patch is knit, Auslander," Eradne noted, and as I released the wound, I studied the fix with fascination, as the bleeding appeared to have stopped.

Ryker returned with some clean bandages, and after Eradne finished bandaging the wound properly, I noted that Casey seemed much less distressed.

"Is there somewhere we can we move her to?" I asked, and Gisela bit her lip.

"I will prepare," she began, but Eradne raised a hand to stop her.

"My room will suffice for tonight," she offered, and I nodded.

Eradne sent Ryker off again, and he returned with a kind of stretcher as well as several Kobalt men, who carefully moved Casey down to Eradne's room.

As we settled Casey into her bed, she seemed to be slipping out of consciousness.

"Will she be okay?" I asked, and Eradne nodded.

She spoke to Ryker, and the boy nodded, staying behind as she gestured to lead me out of the room.

"Ryker will watch over her," she said, and I nodded in response.

What now? I thought.

I needed to go check on Jeannie's group, but I also wanted to talk to Eradne about the Kobalt.

"Eradne; what will you do now?" I asked.

"I will remain in vigilance; the vulnerable must be protected."

"I want to check on my group... but we should talk. Where will I be able find you?" I asked.

"I will join the warrior goddess," she said, and I nodded as she headed towards the entry hall.

I made my way over to Jeannie's room, and as I knocked on the door, the group quickly let me in.

"What's happening, Nate?" Jeannie asked, and I sighed.

"I don't have all of the info just yet, but it appears an attempt was made on my life tonight," I explained, and the girls began to murmur.

"Are you hurt?" Emily asked, and I shook my head.

"I wasn't, but unfortunately, Casey was."

"Who was it? Another hunter like Raul?" Jeannie asked, and I shook my head.

"One of the Kobalt," I answered, and Emily scowled.

"We never should have trusted those things to come with us," she began, and I raised a hand to stop her.

"As far as we know, the attempt came from Palancar... not our own group."

"Why would they? Haven't they already exiled the princess?" Jeannie asked.

"It's too early to really tell, but perhaps in an attempt to prevent her from starting her own grove," I explained, but Emily didn't seem particularly convinced.

"We should leave them behind, and settle down somewhere far away from here," she said.

"Then we'd basically be right back in the same situation as Vanessa's camp by the stream; helpless and possibly exposing ourselves to danger without being aware of it. We know nothing of this world, so the Kobalt's knowledge is invaluable."

"They just tried to kill you," Emily countered.

"Tried. I'll take this over another Raul any day. We're caught up in their politics for sure, but I think I've already got a pretty good idea of how to handle it going forward."

"I still think keeping them on is a mistake," Emily said, as she folded her arms angrily, but Jeannie studied me with a thoughtful expression, before nodding.

"It doesn't make sense to make a call like that in the heat of the moment without knowing all of the information. Nate will find out more about what's going on, and then we'll decide what to do. Right Nate?" Jeannie asked, and I nodded.

"The danger seems to have passed, but for the sake of safety, you all can sleep here tonight, right? Take turns keeping watch?"

Jeannie nodded, but as I made to leave, I pulled her aside.

"A word?" I said, and she nodded.

"I don't particularly like leaving a weapon in her hands right now," I said, and Jeannie nodded.

"I agree," she said. "I'll try to de-escalate things in here, but... out of curiosity, why did you choose to give her the weapon?"

I frowned.

"She came to me earlier, asking about Candace's statement about not giving your group weapons. Given the situation, I wanted your group to have a weapon; so, I figured it'd appease her a little, and also test her capacity to act as a guard in the future."

Jeannie frowned.

"I wish you'd consulted me first," she said, and I nodded.

"Ordinarily I would have, but as far as I knew, Casey was bleeding to death, and I made a judgement call."

"Is she alright?"

"She's stable for the time being. I would be with her now, but I still need to check on everything else."

"Okay. Well, keep me posted when you can."

"Sure... and if anyone starts to become a problem, come find me," I said, and she nodded.

As I headed down to the entry hall, I spotted Gisela, who came to me as soon as she saw me.

"Herr Nathan."

"What do we know so far?"

"It is inconclusive. The matter remains to study."

There was an unusual nuance to her voice...

Was she lying?

It was possible that she would fear that an attack from the Kobalt could ruin our relationship; and now that I think of it, could that have been the objective?

We headed outside, and as we came to the supply cart, I spotted Eradne who was studying Francesca with a curious look.

"Where did the bodies go?" I asked, as I approached, and Francesca shot a glance at Gisela.

"Some runners came by and cleared the area," Francesca answered, and I turned to Gisela.

"It was an unpleasant sight," she answered.

"How are they to be interred?"

"Sorry?"

"The dead. What is the Kobalt custom for handling them?" I clarified.

"They are rested within the earth, to become the fertile soil from which new seeds will spring."

I nodded.

"When will they be buried? Can it be delayed until I can examine them a little?" I asked, and as Gisela began to fidget, Eradne suddenly walked over and slapped her across the face.

"He is to shoulder your princess, and you will deceive him?!" she yelled, and Gisela whimpered as she fell backwards to the ground.

"I am not concealing-"

"-omitting what your eyes see, and misleading the eye. The two things are one! You seek to advise, yet you deceive? Your companionship is as rotten fruit to the stomach!"

I took a deep breath, as I studied the two.

"Gisela. I won't abandon the princess no matter what," I said, as I held out a hand, "but you need to help me protect her. My eyes are new to this world... there is much that I don't yet see."

Gisela studied me for a bit, a teary look in her eyes, before nodding quickly.

"I apologize, Auslander. My action was wrong," she said, quickly bowing, but I waved away the concern with my hand.

"Let's just move on for now. What happened here?" I asked.

"The attacks were coordinated. One group came after you; the other came after our weapons, here," Gisela replied.

I rubbed my chin as I pondered the situation.

The most obvious thing to assume was that they were after the weapons... but our prisoners were also here.

My thoughts went to Bianca, and I made a mental note to question her further, later on.

"How many attacked?"

"Four," Francesca answered, and as I studied her, I shot her a little smile.

"You fought well, I heard."

"She was as fierce as a Tuskan Roc," Eradne offered, and Francesca smiled a little bit, but I could tell that she was still shaken up by what had happened.

"Wait- I sent Cameron and the others down..."

"They came down and armed up, but Nolan decided to do a check on the perimeter; and they went with him."

I frowned.

That didn't make sense.

Everything, personnel included, was right here.

Sigh.

No matter; the attack was most likely over anyway.

"Were you able to find anything out about the attackers?" I asked Gisela, and she nodded.

"They were from Palancar."

"You're certain?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Their weapons, their garb; without doubt, it is of Palancar."

"Do you know why they would do this?"

Gisela shook her head, and Eradne stared at her sharply.

"Frau Schweinchen, did I not scold you?"

"But I do not understand a reason, Eradne," Gisela answered, and Eradne sighed.

"It seems the branch that spreads too far cannot see the stem from which it grew," she said, and Gisela furrowed her brow in response.

She seemed about to say something in response, when I decided to intervene.

"Gisela; has the princess been informed?"

"Yes. Myrinne is with her."

"Gather the rest of the council and discuss what measures we may take, going forward."

Gisela nodded, and as she left, my eyes drifted to Eradne.

"Walk with me?" I asked, and as the woman nodded, we took a stroll towards the bathing area.

"There is a matter I wish to discuss, but it is my understanding that there are ears which hear even the faintest whispers," I said.